1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to radio and stereophonic sound systems and in particular to such sound systems that are especially designed for waterbeds such that a plurality of loudspeakers are arranged within the floor pedestal of the waterbed and of such a design as to create sound waves as well as water waves in the water-filled bladder mattress of the waterbed so that a person reclining on the bed will both feel as well as hear the sound within the water-filled mattress.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The Paii U.S. Pat. No. 2,821,191 describes a treating table, not a bed, to provide a pulsating device that includes controlled sound, light and electrical vibrations that are adapted to tone up physically both healthy and sick persons. The pulsating device is of a type where the pulsation is synchronized with a musical score, permitting the user to "feel" the music as it is played. The musical score controlling the pulsations may be played from either a built-in radio or a phonograph. The loudspeaker is not directly associated with the top surface of this treating table.
The Betts U.S. Pat. No. 3,872,526 describes a vibratory waterbed that includes an electrical motor that drives an eccentric weight for transmitting vibrations of the motor housing to a flexible sheet supported in the side of the open frame construction that contains the water-filled bladder mattress. There is no sound system combined with this vibratory mechanism.
The Nohmura U.S. Pat. No. 3,880,152 describes a health promoting device for use with either a reclining chair or a bed which is fitted with a vibrating system by the use of the propagation of sound wave amplitude by use of loudspeakers. Rhythmical vibrations are generated by the loudspeaker, thereby giving a massaging effect and improving the blood circulation. Nothing is said in this patent about a waterbed. The user is supported on a flexible sheet, such as a tarpaulin-like material or a synthetic resin tightly extended across the framework. The loudspeakers are not assembled within an acoustically-enclosed housing.
The Martinmaas U.S. Pat. No. 4,023,566 discloses the use of loudspeakers in either chairs or beds, where one or more loudspeakers are mounted within a chamber to produce vibrations within the chamber which are transmitted through the body-supporting means to an occupant thereof. This patent describes the philosophy of receiving the direct vibrations of the music through other parts of the body than the ears. No mention is made in this patent of a water-filled mattress.
The Raffel U.S. Pat. No. 4,105,024 describes a waterbed which is characterized as "massaging furniture". There is no teaching of a sound-producing system for creating the massaging wave frequency. This patent uses nonrotating vibrator motors that include a magnet coil and an armature, where a part of the motor is secured to rigid means of the bed to vibrate and impart vibrations to the rigid means.
The Santo U.S. Pat. No. 4,114,215 describes a waterbed having a unitary accessory control at one side of the bed near the head thereof. This control includes sound-producing equipment which may be as simple as a single rest inducing tone generator or as complex as a multiplex AM/FM stereo radio and tape deck. There is apparantly no connection between this sound-producing equipment and the water-filled bladder mattress.
The Hale et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,141,096 describes a mechanical method and means for producing motion in waterbeds. An electric motor drives a disc that is fitted with a crank arm that is joined to a triangular-shaped lifting member. There is no pleasant sound system connected with this mechanical means for imparting motion to the water filling the waterbed.
The McMullan et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,187,568 describes a waterbed having a vibratory transducer which incorporates an electromagnetic vibrator unit which is fixed to the underside of a plate. Thus the plate is vibrated by the vibrator and moves or vibrates substantially independent of another body. There is no sound connected with this vibratory transducer. This patented design is creating mechanical vibrations to transmit vibratory motion through the water-filled mattress.
The last patent is to Christensen U.S. Pat. No. 4,232,661 which shows a complex electronic circuit system having a vibrator motor in combination with a waterbed mattress for administering massage actions to a person resting on the mattress. There is apparently no teaching in this patent of a sound-producing system for imparting vibrations to the waterbed mattress.